Monumento all'Indiano, Florence
Monumento all'Indiano | |
![]() ![]() Location in Tuscany | |
Coordinates | 43°47′25.59″N 11°11′52.18″E / 43.7904417°N 11.1978278°ECoordinates: 43°47′25.59″N 11°11′52.18″E / 43.7904417°N 11.1978278°E |
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Location | Parco delle Cascine, Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
Designer | Charles Francis Fuller |
Type | Monument |
Dedicated to | Maratha Maharajah of Kohlapur, Rajaram Chhatrapati |
The Monumento all'Indiano or Monument to the Indian, more specifically "Monument to the Maratha Maharajah of Kohlapur, Rajaram Chhatrapati" consisting of a small dome, or baldacchino, over the bust of the Indian prince, located at the east end of the Parco delle Cascine, of Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy.[1]
Description[]
This is a peculiar monument attached to an unusual event. In 1870, returning from London after paying his respects to Queen Victoria, the 21 year old Maharajah, Rajaram II died from a febrile illness in his hotel room in the “La Pace Hotel"[2] His courtiers asked to conduct a cremation, or Antyesti ceremony, at the confluence of two rivers. They were able to perform a ceremony at the confluence of the Arno and stream of the Mugnone, near this site in the park. The events and the ceremony elicited a great deal of curiosity in the public.
The act of cremation, banned in Florence, led to a fierce argument among doctors and scientists as to the merits and morals of the funeral technique.[3] The costs of the monument were financed by the British government, who employed the sculptor . The base has inscriptions in English, Italian, Hindi, and Punjabi.[4]
In 1972, a modern bridge was built near the site and takes the name of Ponte all'Indiano.[5]
References[]
- ^ "Room Service: The St Regis, Florence". Independent.co.uk. 14 December 2013.
- ^ Now known as the Grando Hotel in Piazza Ognissanti.
- ^ Annali universali di medicina, Volume 268, edited by Carlo Giuseppe Annibale Omodei, Carlo Ampelio Calderini, Romolo Griffini, (1884) page 206.
- ^ Atti, Acts of the Communal Council of Florence, (1874): pages 8-9.
- ^ Toscana, by Remo Carulli, Alessandro Agostinelli, Sara Fiorillo, entry on memorial (2015).
- Monuments and memorials in Florence
- Outdoor sculptures in Florence
- Busts in Italy
- Sculptures of men in Italy